MC fails to address online complaints

Harshraj Singh
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, August 9

Thanks to the apathy of the civic body, several complaints filed by the residents through the MC’s online complaint system and CRAMAT (mobile app) are pending for a long time.

According to the consolidated report from January 1 to August 8 on the MC’s official website, 217 out of 981 complaints of the B&R branch, 656 out of 3,238 complaints of the O&M branch, 546 out of 667 complaints of the Light branch, 260 out of 282 complaints of the Health branch, 18 out of 25 complaints of the Horticulture branch, 35 out of 44 complaints of the House Tax Branch, 70 out of 72 complaints of Tehbazari and 98 out of 103 complaints of the building branch are shown pending.

Though some residents had filed sewerage-related complaints with the Building or other branches, instead of the O&M branch concerned, status of these complaints is pending too. It seems the complaints were not being updated or transferred to the branch concerned timely.

Besides, the civic body also failed to ensure timely redressal of complaints received on CRAMAT mobile app. Around 400 complaints, which were received through the mobile app, are lying pending as per information collected from the MC office. Mostly, pending complaints on the mobile app were related to the building branch, street lights and few other branches, sources said.

Kewal Singh Panesar of Chet Singh Nagar on Gill Road had filed an online complaint through the MC’s website in January but nobody from the civic body has contacted him till date. “I had filed a complaint that street number 4 in the area is not cleaned properly. Sand and silt remains deposited at the sides of the street. Whenever it rains, sewer gets choked. I had also visited the MC office but to no avail.”

A resident Manjit Singh had filed a complaint against the alleged encroachment in a park at EWS Colony in February this year. Even five months after filing an online complaint, none of the MC official visited there to check the status of the park. “As the MC failed to pay any attention, I have filed a complaint at the office of Ludhiana East MLA Sanjay Talwar recently. The staff at the MLA office assured that required action would be taken soon.”

A number of residents who had filed complaints about illegal constructions, garbage dumps, non-functional street lights and others are still waiting for redressal of the grievances.

A resident of New Bhagwan Nagar, near Jodhewal Basti, had complained about a street light in February. He said, “Nobody had contacted me after I filed an online complaint. Now, the old street light has been replaced with LED light.” However, the status of his complaint about defunct street light is still pending.

Besides, the online complaint system shows that hundreds of complaints of previous years are also still pending.

Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said, “I will look into the matter and ask the officials concerned to take required steps to check the pending complaints if any.”

CRAMAT mobile app also pending

The civic body also failed to ensure timely redressal of complaints received on CRAMAT mobile app. Around 400 complaints, which were received through the mobile app, are lying pending as per information collected from the MC office. Mostly, pending complaints on the mobile app were related to the building branch, street lights and few other branches, sources said.